Captain John P. De Silva

 

The Officer and a Gentleman

In the year 1985, I was in Mumbai studying at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Nautical & Engineering College. Although I had a student visa, my wife went on a tourist visa and it was due to expire during the month of May,1985.

In Mumbai, immigration and visa matters were handled by the Special branch of the Police. One day I went there with my wife for the purpose of requesting for an extension.

As usual the place was crowded, and we waited for our turn. We went into the office around 9.00 a.m. and our turn to meet one of the officers came up around 11.00 a.m. I went up to the Officer and began to explain our problem, first of all he did not listen to me and suddenly he got on his feet and shouted at me, “You should know that we cannot extend tourist visa and, you must send your wife back to Sri Lanka and re-apply for visa and come back here” and after saying that, settled back on his seat and called the next person waiting to meet him.

When I turned back, I saw that my wife was in tears because we were put into a very helpless and a very embarrassing position by the Officer concerned.  I consoled her and told her not to worry that this was not the end of the world and that we will look for someone who would help us in this matter. On one side of the Office, there were two separate rooms. At the entrance to one of those rooms, there was a name board, and it showed D.D. Jog, Deputy Commissioner of Police.

I walked up to the entrance and spoke with the police constable who was on guard. I told him that I need to see the D.C.P. He then asked me whether I knew him. I said “Yes” and, I was allowed in.                                          

As I entered, I saw a Police Officer in uniform seated at his table. He was busy studying a file. I stood still and waited for him to look up. He looked up and asked me “Yes, what can I do for you?”. I addressed him as Sir and told him about my purpose of coming to Mumbai and that the exams are due in few months and that I have to get my wife’s visas extended. 

He rang the bell and the same officer who rejected me came to answer the bell. He saluted the D.C.P. and stood to attention. The D.C.P. and told him “This gentleman has his exams coming up and he has no time to waste in this office. You do the needful and extend the visa of his spouse and make sure that he does not have to come back.”

 I thanked the D.C.P. with all my heart and went and met with the Officer concerned.  When I returned to him, he had taken off his Lion’s skin and hung it out. Sheepishly he told me, “Why you had to go to him, I would have done it myself”. Any way the job was done thanks to Mr. Jog and until I left India, I did not have to go that office. However, prior to leaving the Office after obtaining the visas, I went up to the D.C.P. and thanked him. He said to me “You don’t have to thank me; I only did my job.”   

The incident added a page to life’s book of experience. More significantly, it paved way for us to meet an Officer and a Gentleman in the Indian Police Force.

 

Mr. Jog, I salute you!